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Societal Security in the Development of Indonesia-Malaysia Border Area in North Kalimantan


Sonny Sudiar, ArryBainus, R. WidyaSetiabudiSumadinata, Oekan S. Abdoellah
Abstract

The study aims to explore the societal security as a new approach of a country’s border area development policy. The concept of societal security is becoming an important topic when it relates to the development of the border area. Indonesia shares the borderline with Malaysia in North Kalimantan Province. However, the condition of the residents in that area is marked with severe underdevelopment. As a response to the issue, Indonesian border development policy began to adopt economic and environmental approaches simultaneously besides the traditional security approach, which emphasizes military presence to boost the economy and increase the prosperity of the border area’s residents. The study is field research (conducted at Krayan, Indonesia, and Ba’kelalan, Malaysia) by applying the qualitative approach. Data obtained through participant observation and in-depth interviews with several informants. Data were analyzed using the descriptive method with an emphasis on the data segmentation process. The result suggests that the Indonesian government needs to include the societal security approach in the policy as people who live in the border area have their unique customs and traditions as their identity that could be at odds with the current system. Also, it was noticed that the adoption of the societal security approach would complete the picture of the North Kalimantan border area policy. It could go hand in hand with other procedures as a country's border area development program.

Volume 12 | Issue 2

Pages: 3401-3407

DOI: 10.5373/JARDCS/V12I2/S20201461